Sins of the Father
by AbydosGoddess
Summary: When Sam and Dean are reunited with their father in Chicago Dean is reunited with a childhood friend, and first love. Now her past has come for her......
1. Chapter 1

**Nov. 2, 1983**

"Kids not so-" the voice of Mary Winchester began. She stopped when she entered her eldest son, Dean's room. The smallest smile formed on her face when she saw the two of them standing on Dean's bed. It was obvious the kids had been jumping on the bed just before Mary entered the room. She sighed and walked into the room followed by her husband John. As she neared the kids they both sat down with their feet hanging off the edge of the bed. "No more. It's time for bed you two." There was a whine from the two of them that came in perfect unison. Mary smiled and looked at her husband. John simply laughed and sat down on the bed next to him. "You two will have plenty of time to play tomorrow," Mary said with a smile.

"Just a wittle wonger," Dean asked. He was still little and had trouble with his 'l's.

Mary shook her head. "I'm sorry Dean. It is way passed your bedtime, both of you."

"Pwease mom," he pleaded. The two of them put on the best puppy dog faces they could muster and turned to John. "Daddy?"

John laughed and shook his head. "Listen to your mother Dean," he said with a smile. "You two go in and say good night to Sammy."

They hopped up and Dean grabbed the redhead's arm. "Come on Mara," They raced each other out of the room and down the hall shouting.

"Dean," Mary called after him. "I just put Sammy down and I don't want you to wake him up." The kids ran quietly into Sammy's room and stood by his crib. John walked in behind them and picked each of them up so they could give Sam a kiss goodnight.

As they were walking down the hall Mara, a beautiful redheaded princess turned to her closest friend and smiled. "You're gonna be a gweat big bwother Dean," she said with a smile.

"I already am," Dean said proudly.

Mary and John walked behind them and smiled. They exchanged glances then looked back at the kids. Dean climbed back in his bed and Mary smiled watching Dean and his 'Siamese twin'. The two had been inseparable since birth. They were born in the same room on the same night, half an hour apart. Dean was born first though. Mary would have befriended the girl's mother if she hadn't died giving birth to Mara. Her father and her lived just down the street and the Winchesters often babysat her while her father was away on business.

Mary was leaving the room when Dean spoke. "Mommy," he called to her. Mary turned around and sat on the bed next to Dean. Dean glanced from his mother to Mara, who had already fallen asleep, then back to his mother. "Can I marry her someday," he said with a smile. "Wike you and daddy."

Mary laughed and looked back at John, who had a beaming smile that could only have belonged to a father. She turned back to Dean and smiled. "Of course you can Dean." Mary's gaze turned to her husband once more. "You hear that Dad, we'll have to remember that when our big guy gets older."

"Yes we will," John said with a smile. Mary kissed Dean's forehead and said goodnight. Then she stood and walked over to John. "Night son," he said with a smile before he turned off the light and began walking out of the room.

"You'll keep the door open," Dean asked. "For Mara," he added quickly. Dean was four years old; he was too big to be afraid of the dark, or at least too big to big to admit it. Mara was a girl though so it was okay for her.

John laughed and left the room, leaving the door half way open. That was the last time Dean saw his mother. During the night a fire came. Mara and Dean carried Sam outside as best they could and watched the house burn down. Dean was never the same after that night.


	2. Chapter 2

Sam and Dean walked back into their hotel room. Their muscles ached and their wounds stung. Both boys needed a shower and rest. Though it didn't seem like they'd be getting any when they entered the room and found a figure standing in front of the window. Dean flipped on the lights and his heart jumped and caught in his throat. "Dad," he whispered.

"Dean," a higher voice, obviously belonging to a woman, sounded from the corner. Dean turned his head and saw a fair skinned redhead sitting on the bed. Her emerald eyes seemed to glow in the dim light of the room. Dean smiled when he saw her. She stood and walked over to him, throwing her arms around his neck. Dean dropped the bag he had and wrapped his arms around the girl's waist. He picked her up and hugged her tight, spinning her in a circle. "Mara," he said with a smile once he set her down.

Mara looked up at him and smiled back. She looked behind him and finally noticed Sam. She hadn't seen him in four years. Mara smiled and gave him a hug. "Hey," he said with a smile, though his gaze was still on his father. Mara looked to see what he was looking at and stepped away. She sighed and waited for the fighting to start. To her surprise it didn't. She watched the two embrace and a small smile formed on her lips.

Mara stole a glance at Dean. He was her best friend, the other half of her brain. They had been that way for as long as she could remember. She had been there for every painful part of Dean's life, except recently. It killed her that she couldn't go to them in Lawrence. That she had to watch him suffer. It killed her when she heard Sam's message about Dean dying. She was terrified. Dean glanced over at her and smiled but there was something different in his eyes. It was almost like resentment. After Mara noticed it he turned away then began talking to his father.

Mara took her previous spot back on the bed and hugged her knees to her chest. He was upset with her and she didn't understand why. She lowered her head and closed her eyes. They were talking but she was only half listening. Their conversation was cut short when they heard a piercing scream from Mara. She let out a loud scream when she felt something tear through her back. It threw her across the room and she slammed against the wall. She was knocked out but woke up a few minutes later. She was outside, in Dean's arms. As soon as she woke Dean set her down and she leaned against the car. She looked at them. They both looked awful. There were huge gashes along Dean's face, and Sam's as well.

The voices around her were distant. She watched the three of them as they spoke but couldn't hear their words. It was Dean's expressions that told her what was going on. She looked back and forth between Dean and his father and the noise around her began to focus. He was leaving. Was she going with him? Mara didn't think she could handle being torn from Dean like that again, especially not after that message from Sam saying Dean was dying. She had been so scared. Then she saw John walk away and the boys just stood there. She looked at Sam then at Dean. There was so much pain in Dean's eyes. She took a step forward but Dean took her hand. She looked down at their fingers laced together then up at him. As much as it hurt to see John leave, Mara was glad he left her there with Dean. Mara saw the tears threatening to fall from Dean's eyes. She smiled at him and gave his hand a comforting squeeze. He smiled at her before she climbed into the backseat of his car. Mara was asleep almost before Dean pulled out of the alley. She was so used to falling asleep in the backseat of that car. Dean smiled when he saw her through the mirror.

"We should go with him," Sam said bitterly.

"I told you Sam, it would get him killed," Dean answered through gritted teeth. Dean sighed and looked back at Mara.

Sam glanced over at Dean and then through the mirror at Mara. Her bright red hair and pale skin was just as he remembered her. It was a well-known fact among the Winchesters that Sam once had a schoolboy crush on Mara when he was younger. It wasn't until now, though that he saw what his father and mother had seen for so many years. Sam wondered how long Mara and Dean had been like that. For as long as he could remember Mara was with them. There was never a time, save the last few months, when she was away.

Sam remembered being told Mara's story. It still didn't make much sense to him though. She was born the same night as Dean, half an hour or so apart. Dean told him that she lived down the street when they were growing up. He also told Sam that she was there the night of the fire. His parents had been babysitting her apparently it was quite common. Their father told him how her mother died the night she was born. Sam always felt like he could relate to her on that level. He didn't remember his mother either.

All of that made sense though. It was the events after the fire that none of the Winchesters understood. Her father was supposed to return on November 4th but he didn't. John waited a few more days, then a few more weeks, and finally a few more months. It passed into the New Year and they closed Mary's case. That's when he decided to leave, to hunt what stole his wife and his son's mother from him.

John went to the hospital where his son and Mara were born. He hoped he would find what might have happened to her father. He had filed several missing persons cases by now but nothing showed up. They all came back saying that the man didn't exist. John did all he could to find her father but there was no record that he was even alive. Beyond that though, there was no record of Mara's existence either. He spoke with the nurses that cared for her at the hospital, the doctor that delivered her. No one remembered the girl, her mother, or her father. John gave up after a few months and when he left with his boys he took Mara with him. She's been there ever since.

She had been the peacemaker. The peacemaker between Sam and Dean and also between Sam and his father when Dean was too afraid to step in. A lot of times she would indirectly choose Sam's side. She was strong willed, like both Sam and Dean but Mara saw what Dean didn't. Their father was human, just like them. He makes mistakes too and Mara saw that. When it came to Sam and college, Mara took Sam's side. She understood what the boy needed, and understood that he would be safe. She never wanted to see him go and part of her hoped that he would have stayed. Sam was just as much her baby brother as he was Dean's and it hurt her greatly to see him go.

Then, shortly after that Dean met Cassie. Mara felt abandoned but she never said anything. Everyone else always came first with her. When Cassie dumped Dean, Mara was angry. Dean had been devastated. Cassie was the first person that Dean ever gave his heart too. He had been with many women but he had never really loved them. Cassie was the first; therefore she was responsible for his first heartbreak. Mara was there for him all the way through and she was ready and willing to hurt that girl for what she did to Dean but she wouldn't. That would be admitting how strongly she felt for the boy and Mara would never do that.

She woke up several hours later when Dean shook her. Mara wearily opened her eyes and looked around. She had no idea what town they were in. The Impala was pulled up to a hotel and Sam was digging through the trunk, getting their bags. Mara didn't even remember putting hers in there but it was. She climbed out of the car and walked into the hotel room. Her wounds looked bad but most of them were superficial. Mara set her things down one of the two beds and opened her bag. She found a t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants that at one time had belonged to Dean. Then she grabbed a towel and walked into the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it for a moment, trying to wake up. The night had been horrible but at least she was with Dean again. She could keep an eye on him now.

Mara sighed and pushed herself away from the door. She started the water in the shower and slowly removed her clothes. The fabric was stuck to her where she was wounded and it hurt greatly to remove the clothes but she did anyway. Then Mara sighed and climbed into the shower. She closed her eyes and let the warm water soak over her skin. She ran her hands through her hair and slowly opened her eyes. She watched the water run red for a moment then it ran clear once more. It was relaxing, calming. Mara lost herself in her mind and her happier memories of her and Dean. The three of them, early in their life were lucky to get a few normal moments. She remembered walking through the zoo once. On one side of her she held a three-year-old Sammy's hand, on the other side she held Dean's. She remembered how watching how much Dean cared for Sam.

Mara was lost in her memories. She didn't hear the door open. It wasn't until it closed that she jumped. She turned to see who it was and looked through the clear shower curtain. Mara breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was Dean. Most in her position would be angry but that was what made Mara and Dean's relationship different. They had no boundaries, they had never had boundaries and that was all right with them. She sighed and closed her eyes. Mara hadn't really spoken to him at all since she saw him again. "How… how ya doing?" she asked quietly.

Dean splashed water on his face and sighed. He leaned against the wall opposite the sink and glanced over at her. He just barely noticed that his heart seemed to skip. He wondered if it was she, or what had happened to him months earlier. "I'm all right," he said softly. He had never really taken notice of the girl that stood before him. But now he did as she climbed out of the shower and turned the water off. She stood in front of him and smiled. Then she grabbed the towel and wrapped it around herself. Dean found his heart racing. Why?

Mara studied him for a moment. He looked different. Mara looked down for a moment. Dean took his shirt off and turned the water in the shower back on. "Sorry," she said glancing back over at him. "I didn't know you were-"

"It's okay," Dean said quickly. Dean took notice of the fact that the temperature in the room seemed to rise exponentially. He also noticed that both of them were breathing heavily. He removed the rest of his clothes and looked over at her as removed the towel to get dressed. "Mara," he whispered and she turned to him. Dean stared at her for a moment. He kept remembering his words as a young boy, one of the last things he remembered before the fire. What he said about her.

Dean studied her for a moment, and finally realized how truly beautiful she had become. She was always just a girl to him, just a friend. He was so used to her it never phased him but he supposed the time apart did something to their relationship. He walked up to her slowly as she put on her clothes. They were a bit too big for her but she didn't mind. Dean stopped just inches from her and looked into her eyes, her beautiful emerald eyes. Then he did something he didn't expect, he hadn't planned, he never thought he'd do. Dean leaned forward, placed a hand behind her head and kissed her deeply.

Mara seemed just as shocked as he was but she didn't fight it. She slowly wrapped her arms around his neck. Dean leaned forward and they fell back against the door, quite loudly. From the room Sam heard them hit the door and he looked up. He heard, what sounded like a soft moan, but it was muffled. He sat down on the bed and couldn't help but chuckle to himself. It was about time Dean did something with that girl.

Dean kissed her neck and picked her up. He set her down on the counter. As Dean kissed her his hands slid under her shirt and his fingertips grazed her skin along her back. She arched her back slightly, jumping at his touch. "Dean," she whispered through the kiss. She pushed him away slowly and looked into his eyes. Mara's heart pounded in her chest and she forced herself to slowly shake her head. "Not now," she whispered. Dean stepped away from her and nodded. She jumped off the counter and forced a faint smile on her face.

"I'm sorry,' he whispered.

Mara walked to him and ran her hand along his face, over the cuts. "Don't be," she whispered with a smile. Then she turned and walked out of the bathroom. Mara met Sam's gaze and he had a smile on his face. "Wipe that smile off your face Sam Winchester before I do," she snapped at him. Sam simply laughed and lay down on the bed. Mara rolled her eyes and curled up on the other bed. She closed her eyes.

She slowly drifted off to sleep and when she woke she was sitting in the back seat of the Imapla. She was still covered in blood and wearing the same clothes she had been wearing in Chicago. Mara looked at Dean as they climbed out of the car. Dean went to shake her but noticed she was awake. She stared at him, confused as to what happened.


	3. Chapter 3

Dean smiled at Mara as she got out of the car. He wrapped one arm around her waist as she wrapped one around his neck. Dean helped her walk into the hotel room. The cuts on her back were pretty bad. "You okay," he whispered. She nodded but didn't say anything else. Sam followed behind them and closed the door. He threw his stuff on the bed as Dean helped Mara into the bathroom. Sam pulled a chair from the table in there and Mara sat down. "Let me take a look at that," Dean said quickly. Sam got a cloth from the bag and handed it to Dean. Then he walked out, closed the door, and lay down on the bed.

Mara sat down, straddling the chair and Dean slowly removed her shirt to reveal four large gashes along her back. She took in a sharp breath when he removed the shirt as it tore at the drying blood. "Shh," he whispered. Dean filled the sink with water and dipped the cloth in the warm water. He softly pressed it to her tender skin and she jumped slightly and winced. After that it didn't hurt much. Dean's touch was soft. He was always good at that. He finished wiping the blood away. "I'm gonna let that air out a bit before I put some bandages on it. It will hurt less to take them off." Mara nodded and sighed closing her eyes and letting her head fall forward. Dean walked around and knelt down in front of her. He lifted her head and looked into her emerald green eyes. "Are you sure you're gonna be okay?" She nodded slowly as a couple tears fell down her face. "Shh," he whispered wiping the tears away with his thumb. "What's wrong?"

Mara sat up straight and sighed. She stood slowly and leaned against the counter. It felt better to stand anyway. "Nothing," she said softly. Dean walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, careful not to hit the wounds on her back.

"Mara," he whispered in her ear. "It's okay." Dean felt her tremble in his arms. He was worried about her. Mara rarely got like this. She was usually strong and quite often in charge of everything, always in control. The last time he saw her like this was when Sam left for college. She told him that everything was falling apart. The fight Sam and John had terrified her. She genuinely thought that Sam would never come back. "Mara what's wrong," he whispered. He felt Mara clench her hands around his shirt and he sighed. He gently rubbed her shoulders, letting her know he wasn't going anywhere. He looked down at her and sighed. "It's gonna be all right," he whispered. "Don't worry. We'll be fine. Sammy's here, I'm here. Everything's going to be okay."

Mara wanted so badly to believe him but she didn't see how it could be. They still weren't a family. John was gone now and Mara worried that she would never be able to have all of them together at the same time. She wanted what Dean wanted and in that they were so much alike. Her father abandoned her and she never knew why. She didn't want to lose the Winchesters too. Dean could see it in her eyes. He sighed and kissed her forehead. "Mara," he whispered cupping her face in his hands. He sighed and wished he knew what to say but he didn't. He felt the same way she did. He felt like his family had fallen apart again. He feared they'd never be whole as well. Dean didn't like this feeling. This incapability to comfort her. He had always been able to make Mara smile.

Dean sighed and looked into her eyes. He ran his hand along her cheek and her jaw line. He always did think she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever meet. Ever since he was a kid he'd been in love with her. His dad told him once that the night his mother died Dean said he would marry Mara some day. Dean laughed at the thought but now, with her standing in front of him so fragile, so broken; he'd seriously consider it. He'd do anything to make her feel better, to give her a family. Dean leaned forward slowly and kissed her lips lightly. Mara's first thought was that it was another dream. Then she resigned herself to the thought that if it were a dream she would make it last. Dean wrapped his arms around her small waist and enveloped her mouth in a deep loving kiss. Mara's arms wrapped around his neck and held him tightly. The taste of blood ruined the moment though. She backed away and studied him. She had completely forgotten about the cuts on his face until that moment.

Mara sighed and she pushed herself up on the counter. She picked up the cloth that was in the sink and smiled. "Come here," she said with a laugh. She was always cleaning up Dean's injuries. Even as a kid he was quite accident-prone. She smiled and ran the cloth along the cuts. She smiled at him when she finished and dropped the cloth in the sink. "Do I get a treat," he asked with his charming smile.

"Sure go ask Sam," she said with a smile. Dean laughed and looked down. "I wanted to see you," she said after a long time. "In… In Lawrence. We were there. I wanted to see you." Mara's voice was soft, sad and somewhat angry. "He wouldn't let me. He said it was still too dangerous." Dean watched her and his heart ached. They were in Lawrence? Why didn't his father call back? Why would he keep Mara from Dean? He knew what Dean felt for her. Everyone and their dog knew what Dean felt for her, save maybe Mara and Dean themselves. Dean sighed and shook his head. "Then… then Sam called and… and," she paused and looked down. "Dean he said you were dying. I… I begged your father to let me go, to let me find you but he wouldn't. He kept saying, it's all right he's a tough boy. He'll make it through." Mara sighed and closed her eyes, a few tears falling down her face. "I was so scared," she whispered.

Dean wrapped his arms around her once more and held her close. She closed her eyes and listened to his steady heartbeat. "Does that sounds like the heartbeat of a dying man," he asked quietly. "I'm fine now. Don't worry about it. It helps just to know you wanted to be there." He smiled and kissed her lips lightly once more.

"Dean what are you doing," she whispered. Dean looked down and actually blushed. Mara hardly ever saw him blush like that. She couldn't help but laugh. Then she cupped his face in her hands and pulled him forward to kiss him. Dean's hands rested on her hips as he moved forward, standing between her legs as she let them dangle off the counter. Dean's hands slid up her back, over her wounds carefully so he wouldn't hurt her. Dean's hands found the back of her black bra and he slowly undid the hooks. While he did that Mara's hands slid under his shirt and up over his chest, she broke their kiss just long enough to get his shirt off and throw it behind him. Dean carefully slid the straps of her bra off her shoulders. He dropped it on the floor next to him and pulled her closer.

Mara gasped as she felt his lips travel down her neck. She let her head fall back as he moved lower. Dean's graceful hands made short work of her jeans and he dropped them on the floor as well. Mara wrapped her legs around him as his hands moved up her thighs. Mara ran her hands down along his smooth chest and struggled with his belt, finally she loosened it and managed to get his jeans off as well. Both knew this wasn't the best place for what they were doing but they certainly couldn't take it to the bed because Sammy was there. Mara let the smallest of ecstatic moans escape her lips as she felt Dean's hand's tug at her panties. This was not how she imagine it, well there was that dream before but that didn't count. They quickly rid themselves of anything separating them. Now the only thing between them was air and even that was soon gone as Dean picked her up.

Sam sat in the room and glanced to the door after a while. They were in there a long time. He stood and walked over to knock on the door but what he heard made him stop. A small smile formed on his lips. "I'm gonna grab a bite to eat," he shouted. "I'll probably be gone for a couple hours." With that Sam picked up the keys to Dean's car and walked out of the room. He figured he'd give them some privacy and let them at least get to a bed and not the bathroom floor.

Dean picked Mara up off the counter again and carried her into the bedroom. He set her gently on the bed before climbing on top of her. He kissed every inch of skin that he could as he made his way to her lips. Mara's breathing was heavy, more like panting and the desire in her was unbearable. She had been with other men, even thought herself in love once but nothing was like Dean Winchester. His touch was fire his kiss was pure ecstasy. Every movement was carefully calculated. He was more than graceful. It was like a dream and Mara prayed that it wasn't. Before long the both of them were covered in beads of sweat. Neither of them spoke a word but actions spoke louder than words anyway.

Their time of passion ended. That's what would best describe it. Passion. Dean held her in his arms and stared up at the ceiling. Mara's heart was still racing. "I'm waiting to wake up," she whispered. This made Dean laugh. "God, if your father knew."

"That's just wrong," Dean said with a laugh. He looked down at her and smiled, kissing her forehead. It was different than when he held Cassie. Most of their relationship was physical, lustful. Mara was different. He would die for her. He would do anything for Mara. The boy had been in love with her since birth. His father told him a story once that when they were in the nursery of the hospital. He stood by the window with Mary and the two of them were holding hands. Dean held her close and sighed. "You don't regret it do you?"

Mara had always been the pure one, or at least more so than him. He was worried she would regret what they had done. "No," she whispered. Her head rested on his chest, as she had done so many times growing up. Of course then they didn't just get done having sex and they were clothed. She sighed and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep. "I love you," she whispered absently.

Dean's heart stopped and he stared down at her but realized she was asleep. Had she meant that? Dean always had feelings for her, strong feelings, but he didn't know if he was ready to admit it was love. That idea terrified him. Luckily his cell phone rang so he wouldn't have to think about it. The caller I.D. said it was Sam. Dean picked up the phone and sighed. "What is it Sam?"

"Dean Winchester," an older man's voice sounded. Dean sat up straight, causing Mara to wake up. She sat up and stared at him. Something was wrong she could see it in his eyes. "You boys have really grown up," the man's voice said. "Bring her to me," he said coldly. "You get her to the old brewery on 3rd by midnight and maybe little Sammy might live."

Dean could hear his brother's breathing in the background. It was slow and labored. He heard Sam cough, it sounded like he was coughing up blood and that worried Dean. "Sammy! SAM!" he shouted into the phone. Dean hung up the phone and jumped out of bed. He quickly put on some clothes and looked at Mara. The man couldn't have been talking about Mara could he? Dean froze and stared at her. How could he offer her up? How could he choose between her and his brother? Sam always came first and Dean knew she would understand. "Get dressed," he said softly. He wouldn't tell her. Not until he had too.


	4. Chapter 4

Mara got dressed as quickly as she could. She stumbled as she slid on her jeans, not nearly as graceful as Dean. Though she knew he had experience getting into his clothes and out of a hotel room quickly. She finally got dressed and followed him quickly out the door. Dean stopped when he got out side and cursed loudly. "Sam took the car," he said with a sigh. "Shit." Dean threw his hands up in frustration.

Mara looked around then back at Dean. "What the hell is going on," she snapped at him. Mara finished buttoning her black semi-sheer blouse. "Dean what's going on? Who was there? Where's Sam?"

Dean looked down at her and studied her. His heart broke with what he was going to do. "Come on," he said grabbing her arm. Dean headed forward, practically dragging the girl down the street behind him. She ran to catch up with him.

"Dean what's going on? Tell me please?" Mara stopped Dean and turned him around to face her. "Damn it Dean Winchester! You do not do that to me, say those things then don't tell me when you're brother is in trouble," she shouted. "Where the hell is Sammy? Is he all right? Is he alive? Who was that? Say something damn it!"

"He's been kidnapped," he shouted. "Again!" Mara was stopped suddenly. Again? What did that mean? Why did they mean again? "I just got him back Mara!" Mara looked at him confused. "Come on," he shouted taking her by her arm once more. Mara tore her arm away. She ran along side him and didn't say a word. He had lost Sammy? Someone kidnapped Sammy? How much had she missed? Yet another painful moment in Dean's life that she hadn't been there for him. Mara silently cursed John Winchester for it.

Hours passed before Mara finally forced him to stop. It was 11:30 when they stopped. "Dean, please," she said softly. Mara was exhausted and it was showing. "Dean, I'm exhausted we've been at this all day," she said softly.

Dean sighed and looked over at her. She was shivering. He hadn't realized how cold it had gotten that night. Dean took his jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders. He wrapped his strong arms around her and hugged her close. She was trembling, crying he could hear it. This was the second time today Dean witnessed her cry. Sammy meant everything to her as well and he knew that. "Mara," he whispered. "We can't stop now. He said I had to be there by midnight or Sam would die."

Mara looked up at him. The full moon reflected off her tear-filled emerald eyes. "What does he want Dean?"

Dean sighed and stared at her. He couldn't tell her. Not after what they did. He couldn't tell her he was giving her away for Sam. He couldn't. "I don't know," he lied. It was the first time in twenty-six years that he had ever lied to Mara. His heart broke to do it but he had to. Dean ran his fingers through her short red hair. He kissed her forehead and the continued on their search.

Finally they were able to find the brewery that the man told them about. It was old and looked as though it hadn't been used in years. Dean walked inside, holding Mara's wrist. He held her tight it hurt. "Dean," she said softly through gritted teeth. "You're hurting me." Dean slowly loosened his grip on Mara's wrist but didn't let go.

"I was beginning to worry Dean," the same man's voice sounded. It echoed around the dark room. Dean had no idea where it was coming from. A spotlight went on showing Sam handing from by his wrists from the rafters. There were small wires holding him there that were cutting into his wrists.

"Sam," Dean whispered. He let go of Mara and ran to Sam. "Sammy," he whispered. Dean looked at him and found his brother was pale, deathly pale. His skin was cold and his clothes were covered in blood. Dean saw the source of his wounds was a large gash that went across his chest. Sam was unconscious, his entire body weight pulling on the wires that were cutting into his wrists. Dean grabbed him around the waist and attempted to relieve some of the pressure on the wires so they didn't cut into him anymore.

Mara stood a few feet away. She looked around to find where the voice was coming from. "My you've grown so much," the man's voice said. Mara turned and saw a familiar face walk down the steps. Her heart caught in her throat. She couldn't believe whom she saw in front of her. "You look so much like your mother," he whispered as he walked to her. Mara took a step back. It was her father. He hadn't aged a day since she was four years old.

"That's… that's impossible," she whispered. She looked over at Dean and started towards him when her father grabbed her wrist.

"Nothing's impossible Mara," he whispered in her ear. "Honestly Dean I didn't think you'd be so willing to give her up like this."

Mara's eyes shot to Dean as he looked over at them. He couldn't believe who stood before him. That man had ruined Mara's life. Destroyed her future and involved her in the Winchester's sorry excuse for a childhood. Anger raged inside Dean and he let go of Sam, causing him to drop and the wires to cut into his wrist even more. Dean took a small pocketknife from his pocket and cut the wires causing Sam's lifeless body to drop to the floor.

"Give me up," she said coldly. Dean knelt down by Sam and looked up at Mara. There was pain and regret in his eyes. "You said you didn't know what he wanted," she snapped at him. She looked down at Sammy and tears filled her eyes.

"This is your chance Winchester," Mara's father said quickly. "You're quickly losing time and your brother doesn't have much of that."

Sam was beginning to regain consciousness. Dean looked up at him and helped him up, putting Sam arm over his shoulders and his own arm around Sam's waist. He looked at Mara. Mara bit her lower lip, hard enough to draw blood but she didn't notice. "Go, get Sammy out of here Dean!"

"I'll come back-"

"Save it," she snapped at him as he carried Sam out the door.

Mara was left there with her father. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Shh, baby don't cry," he whispered. Her father went to wipe the tears away and she shoved his hand back.

"Don't touch me," she said coldly. Her father wrapped his arms around her and she struggled to push him away but he was stronger.

"We have so much catching up to do," he whispered to her, kissing her forehead. "You really do look so much like your mother. It's a shame she had to die like that, begging me to take care of you," he said with a small smile.

Mara knew her mother died giving birth. She vaguely knew when she was younger but it had been John Winchester that told her that. Her father was never there for it. She hadn't died giving birth though, or at least it wasn't the labor that killed her. He killed her, her father. Why? Mara swallowed hard, choking back her tears and anger. "You sure did a hell of a job with that," she said coldly.

Her father backhanded her. The force of his hit was stronger than any normal man's should be. "You will NOT talk to you father like that," he shouted at her.

"Well then it's a good thing I don't," she said coldly.

He glared at her and threw her down on the ground. "John Winchester is not your father Mara, I am and you know it so stop being a stubborn little child." Mara stood quickly and glared at him. "Maybe when you wake up you'll see things differently," he said calmly with a smile on her face. Mara barely had time to register his fist coming at her face before everything went black.

Dean carried Sam out to the car and searched Sam's pockets for the keys. Finally he found them in Sam's coat pocket. Dean rushed around to the other side of the car and jumped in. He started the car and tore off down the road to the nearest hospital. Dean got Sam in there easily with Sam's injuries, not many questions were asked. It was a small town, the kind of town where the doctors care more about the patients than money. Dean was grateful for that. He paced the waiting room and called his father several times, each time he got no answer. Dean's heart was pounding in his chest. He left her there. He couldn't believe he left her there. Dean sank down into one of the chairs several hours after arriving. Just as he sat down the doctor walked out to him. Dean stood quickly. "You're brother has a couple of broken ribs. The more pressing concern was the loss of blood from his wrists and chest. We were able to stop the bleeding and gave him a blood transfusion. Right now he's stable, but I can't guarantee anything."

Dean nodded, slightly relieved. At least he was alive for the moment. "Can I see him?" The doctor nodded slowly and told him that if he needed anything Dean would be able to find him. Dean nodded and walked towards Sam's room. He pulled a chair over and sat by Sam's bed. Dean sat there for hours, holding Sam's hand. The room was silent, save for the sound of the heart monitor steadily beeping away. It was the only comfort Dean had, for the moment.

"Dean," a familiar and comforting voice came from behind him. Dean turned quickly and saw his father standing in the doorway. The oldest Winchester boy couldn't hold back the tears.

"I tried Dad," he said softly. Memories of times he'd failed Sammy flooded back to his mind. The look of disappointment in his father's eyes haunted him. "I tried but," he paused and looked down.

Then Dean felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at his father. There wasn't disappointment in his eyes, anger yes, as usual but that heartbreaking disappointment that was always there was gone. "Will he be all right?"

"I… I think so," Dean answered his father quietly. "The doctor said he lost a lot of blood but for now he's stable." Dean sank back down into the chair and ran his hands through his hair.

"Have you slept," John asked his son softly. Dean shook his head and that was followed by a loud sigh from his father. John sat down in a chair by the window. He looked around. Dean hadn't said what happened on the messages just that Sam was hurt. "Where's Mara?"


	5. Chapter 5

Dean looked up at his father and sighed. He didn't know what to say. His heart was broken, for his brother and Mara both. John studied his son and realized that Dean finally saw the truth in their relationship. "Where's Mara," he asked again.

Dean sighed and lowered his head, covering it with his hands. When he looked back at his father his face was old and tired, much like John's. "We were at the hotel," he said quietly. He wasn't about to say what they were doing, not to his father anyway. "We were at the hotel and someone called, I thought… I thought it was Sam but when I picked it up it wasn't."

"Why would Sam call wasn't he with you?"

Dean sighed and shook his head slowly. He waited for the lecture, the yelling the disappointment. "Sam left to get something to eat."

"Why didn't you go with him?"

"I'm not his babysitter anymore," Dean snapped. He sighed and shook his head. His father just didn't give him away around it. "I was with Mara," he said as generally as he could. The look in his eyes told his father what his words hadn't.

John sighed and lowered his head. Because it was Mara, and not some other girl, John found it hard to blame Dean. Mara and Dean had been inseparable since they were born. "Who called if it wasn't Sam?"

"I didn't know," he said simply. "But… but he said he had Sam and…and that I had to give him Mara and…"

"Give him Mara? Why her?" In the grand scheme of things in the lives of the Winchesters, Mara was the least important to their enemy. At least that was what he had always thought.

"He said that if I didn't bring Mara, Sammy would die." Dean sighed and shook his head. His heart was broken. He left her behind. He just left her there as if she was nothing. How could he have done that to her? "We… we found Sam at the brewery on 3rd. Don't ask me how to get there cause I don't remember. It was a miracle we found it in the first place. We walked and Sam… Sam was hanging by his wrists. God, he looked awful Dad." Dean said looking at his baby brother.

"Who was it Dean?" John asked a little angrier this time.

"I don't know how." Dean took a deep breath. "Her father," he said quietly.

"What," John said sitting up straight. "You recognized him? How, Dean you were four the last time you saw him."

"He doesn't look any different," Dean answered quickly. "He took Mara." Dean looked down and ran his hands through his hair again. "I just… I handed her over to him without a second thought. Dad she could be dead by now." Dean's voice was full of guilt and worry. "I love her."

"I know," John said simply. "In fact I've been telling you that for years," he said hoping it would help his son. He knew how hard it was for his eldest to give his heart to someone. "We'll get her back Dean, don't worry. She's one of us remember," he said with a smile. "She's far from helpless."

Dean smiled and laughed. That was true. Mara was an amazing fighter. She was smart and resourceful. He looked over at Sam as he began to stir and rose from his seat, as did his father. Sam opened his eyes slowly and looked at Dean. Then he looked over at his father. "Dad," he whispered weakly. John smiled and took his son's hand. Sam looked back and forth at them. "Whe… where's Mara," he whispered. Sam looked at Dean and realized what he had done. He tried to sit up quickly but couldn't. "Dean, what were you thinking," he all but shouted.

"I was thinking about getting you the hell out of there," Dean said coldly. "You were in the room, you left the damn room Sammy. Do you think I would just give her up like that if I had another choice?" John shot Dean a glare and Dean fell silent.

"Dean, you don't understand," Sam said quickly. "Whoever that guy is, Dean," Sam paused and looked at Dean with pain in his eyes. "He's not gonna kill her Dean," Sam whispered.

"That's her father Sam," Dean said softly.

Sam's head rested on his pillow and he looked up at the ceiling, calming down once again. "She's a gift," he said softly. "She's supposed to be a gift to it. An offering."

"What," Dean said quickly. Dean met his father's worried gaze. "An offering for what?"

John studied Sam's expression as he looked at his older brother. "The demon," John said stealing Sam's words from him. John sat down quickly and ran his hands through his hair the same way Dean had earlier. "An offering?" He sighed and looked at his sons. "What kind of offering Sam?"

Sam looked at his father and then at Dean. "I don't know," he said quietly. "All I was able to find out was that she's an offering for it."

"Rowan," John said with a sigh. Both his children looked over at him in confusion. John looked up at them. "Rowan is Mara's twin brother." He sighed and shook his head. "He umm… he was kidnapped when he was a baby and they never found him. The kids were only six months old. I swore to Austin I wouldn't tell her. He decided it was best she not know."

"If he died or whatever, twenty plus years ago Dad, what does that have to do with Mara now?"

John sighed and shook his head. "About two weeks before Rowan disappeared Austin was acting strange. He went on an unusual number of business trips and Mara was with us all the time. I was worried, concerned. You mother was ecstatic, planning your wedding and you were only sixth month old." He smiled faintly at the memory of his wife. "It was the same way before your mom died. He was gone all the time and Mara was with us."

"That's a great story Dad," Dean said somewhat coldly. "What does that have to do with now?"

"I think Austin might have promised this demon Mara in exchange for Rowan's life. Two days before Rowan disappeared Austin took the kids to see their grandparents. I think that might have been the day he was supposed to hand her over to it. When he didn't the demon took Rowan. Four years later it came to collect again when it came for Sammy. Austin was gone, he left her with us remember. So she wasn't where she needed to be."

"Wouldn't the demon know that Mara was in the house with us?"

John sighed and nodded. "Maybe, but with the distraction of Mary and the fire. It didn't get Sam I doubt it would have been able to get a chance to get Mara."

"What if he's not dead," Sam asked quietly.

"Who?" John stood and looked down at his injured son.

"Rowan. I umm… most of what I overheard was from him talking to someone else, someone younger."

John sighed. "It's a possibility."

"Why would it come back for her now," Dean asked.

"Why come after me now after twenty two years," Sam answered. Dean nodded slowly. Sam had a point. As much as he hated to remind Sam of Jessica's death, he knew his brother was right.

"So you think the demon will kill her? Take her soul like some kind of battery?"

Sam shook his head. "I don't think it will kill her. He said there was something special about her. That's why the demon was willing to take the trade in the first place. Something that made her better than the others." None of the Winchesters could name what that was. They had never seen any sort of abilities, such as Sam's visions, come from Mara. She was like Dean, a fighter but that was it.

"How long do you think we have," Dean asked.

"A day," Sam said simply. He said a day.

Dean sighed and shook his head. "This could be another trap, like in Chicago. We have to be ready." Sam and John nodded in agreement.

"You're not coming," Dean and his father told Sam in unison.

Dean sighed and shook his head at his brother. "You're still hurt Sammy. You should get some rest. Don't worry, we'll have Mara there too," he said with a smile. Dean had always admired the way Mara fought with such grace. She was always so steady, never faltering.

"Be careful," Sam said as they headed out the room.

Dean and his father walked down the hall towards the hospital entrance. John studied his son. He had never seen such a look of resolve on Dean's face before. That sheer determination made him proud of his son. Dean glanced at his father then got in his car. He started the Impala and took one last look at the hospital before tearing out of the parking lot. He worried about Mara. She was strong but this was her family and he worried she'd let that distract her from the truth. The man abandoned her and was about to hand her over to a demon.

Mara woke hours later. She was still no longer in the brewery. Mara opened her eyes all the way and sat up slowly. She was lying in the corner of an empty room. The floor was cement and the walls were bear save for the bloodstains that ran along them. She looked around. This was not the type of place one wants to wake up in. "Morning," a voice came from behind her. Mara froze. The voice was different. It wasn't her father's, it wasn't Dean or Sam's and it certainly wasn't John's. The voice was younger, mildly resembling Dean's. She had never heard it before in her life.

Mara slowly turned around and saw a man standing a few feet from her. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and one foot against the wall. Mara didn't recognize him. He had longer reddish brown hair. It resembled Sam's except for the color. The man had dark, cold brown eyes that frightened her. His skin was a tanned color, much like Dean's. The man stood about as tall as the Winchester's, somewhere between Dean and Sam, so about as tall as John. He pushed himself from the wall and Mara watched him walk towards her. He wore a black long-sleeved shirt that fit snugly around him, but not too tight. Along with that he wore black leather pants and black boots that echoed as they hit the cement floor. He smiled at her. His smile was an almost sadistic one and it made Mara back away. She didn't like the idea of being trapped in a room with no way out and a man pinning her in the corner.

He laughed and shook his head. "Don't worry Mara Weston," he said softly. "I won't hurt you. And I certainly wouldn't dream of doing that with you." How did he know her name? How was it possible that he knew her name? It was as if he could read her mind, see her fear. He stopped and put his hands in the pockets of his pants. "You don't remember me. I don't blame you. You were only a baby last time we met."

"Who are you," she asked defiantly. There wasn't a hint of fear in her voice though she was terrified of this man. Mara always had a strong voice and she had mastered hiding her fear over the years.

"My name is Rowan Weston."


	6. Chapter 6

Weston? How was that possible? The boy didn't look much older than herself and she knew her father had no siblings. Who was this man? Mara took a step back. "What are you afraid of Mara," he asked with a smile. Mara backed against the cement wall and stared at the man walking towards her. There was something so familiar about him. He backed her against the wall and stood very close to her. Rowan leaned forward slowly and smiled. "Of course you wouldn't know me. Winchester was too afraid to tell you, the coward that he is." With that Mara raised her hand quickly to strike him across the face. He caught her wrist and held it tightly in his strong arms. "That's not very nice," he said leaning over her. "You shouldn't hit your siblings."

Mara froze, she didn't even notice the severe pain in her arm as he twisted it. Siblings? That couldn't be possible. Her eyes widened. Finally she came back to reality. She felt his hand tighten around her arm and the bones snap. Mara couldn't hold back the scream that escaped her lips and she doubled over and he wrapped his arms around her, letting go of her wrist. "Shhh," he whispered to her. "I know it hurts," he said softly. "It hurt when I found out too." Rowan let go of her and stepped away from her. Mara held her broken right wrist and slowly raised her body to stand straight. "Of course he wouldn't tell you Mara," Rowan said softly. "That would mean that he wouldn't be able to keep you with his beloved son. Haven't they lost enough with his mother? Haven't you lost enough with me and our mother," he snapped at her.

"What are you talking about?" She looked into his dark eyes and saw hatred, darkness, evil. It was frightening to know such things could come from her own flesh and blood, her father and now this.

"Don't play dumb," he snapped coldly. Rowan brought his hand up and the back of it collided with her face sending her to the ground. He knelt in front of her and pulled her head back by her hair. "You think you know pain? Oh, Mara I'll show you pain," he said with a sadistic smile on his face. "Shh," he whispered placing the forefinger of his free hand on her lips. "Don't worry," he whispered. "It will only hurt for a moment." With that Rowan picked her up and slammed her against the wall. Her head hit the wall with devastating force and her world went black in a second.

Dean drove down the road towards the hotel faster than he had ever gone, his father following closely behind him. Dean arrived at the hotel. He walked in and looked around, the room was a mess. He sighed and gathered up some weapons, it was the only reason he went there. John pulled up beside the Impala and walked into the hotel room. He looked around taking in all the details. He didn't miss the fact that both Dean and Mara's clothes lay sprawled across the bathroom floor. "And Sammy was here," he asked with a smirk. Dean wasn't in the mood though and his father caught that with the glare his son gave him.

Dean finished packing their weapons and stormed out of the hotel. His father grabbed his arm, spinning his son around. "Dean you need to stop and wrap your head around this. You can't go in there blinded by anger."

"No one is going to touch her. You'd do the same if it were mom," he said coldly. It was the first true act of defiance he had shown his father. With that Dean turned and got in his car. John nodded slowly and climbed in his truck. He followed his son as Dean led him back to the brewery. The two spent the next three hours scouring every inch of that place and they found no sign of them save for the dried blood from Sam the day before.

"Damn it," Dean said angrily. John sighed and ran his hands through his hair. He tried to think of some place they might be. Then Dean's cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket. The caller I.D. told him it was from the hospital. "Hello," Dean said quickly. 

"Dean," Sam's voice said weakly.

"Sammy, what's wrong?" Dean's face filled with worry, as did his father's.

"Ma… Mara," he whispered. "Mara she's… she's hurt." Sam was breathing heavily as if he had been running. His voice was strained as well. "They… they've got her at an old orphanage. It's… it's not far from where you are… just… just down the road. Hur… hurry." With that Sam dropped the phone, too weak to hold it anymore.

"Sam? Sammy!?" Dean yelled into the phone. Then he hung up and looked at his father. "I know where they are, but Sam stopped talking. You go back and check on him." With that Dean got in his car. He gave his father orders and didn't even seem in the least bit phased by it. His mind was solely on finding Mara and making sure she was safe. Dean got in the Impala and tore off down the street. He stopped and pulled up to a large building. The sign at the massive, iron, gate read: Hillside Lakes Orphanage and Sanitarium. "Oh wonderful," Dean said with a sigh upon reading it. Dean parked the car and the street and climbed over the brick wall surrounding the facility. As he approached the building he took in what he saw. Dozens of broken windows, vines climbing up the walls. Two large Roman pillars on each side of the door marked the entry. There was an arch connecting the two pillars that displayed the building's name once more. Dean sighed and slowly walked through the broken wood doors of the building.

He turned down one of the halls. Graffiti covered the walls and it made him shudder. The place reminded him greatly of the asylum in Rockford. It was not somewhere he wanted to think Mara was stuck in. Dean stopped suddenly, hearing something behind him. When he turned there was nothing there. He was on his guard at all times, taking in the sounds around him. He thought he could hear faint footsteps behind him but ignored it. It was either some haunting or his imagination.

Mara's eyes opened. She was still in the same room. She stood slowly, pushing herself up by her arms. Putting pressure on her right arm caused Mara to fall. She had forgotten it was broken but the pain quickly reminded her. Everything came back to her. That man, his words. A brother? She couldn't have a brother and not know it. That might explain her strange dreams throughout her life though. They were like memories that didn't belong to her. She had never spoken of them though. It was her little secret. Mara sat up slowly and managed to get herself to her feet. "Are you lost," a small voice said behind her. Mara jumped and turned around quickly. Standing in front of her was the image of a small boy. "Are you lost?" The boy looked to be no older than ten. He had short blonde hair and bright blue eyes. His skin was pale and there were dark circles around his eyes. Where was she? "Don't be afraid," he whispered. "They're always afraid. Please, please miss," he pleaded with her. "Don't be afraid."

She studied him for a moment. "No," she said softly. "I'm not lost, I'm trapped." She took a step towards the boy and he backed away.

"The men upstairs," he asked softly. "Did they take you? You are hurt." She nodded as she stepped closer once more. "You are good, not like them. I can see your light." She smiled faintly. "Come quick," he said simply. "Hurry." The boy led her too a small almost invisible airshaft. He pointed to it. "It leads outside. Hurry, my sister and I can distract them," he said with a smile. With that an older girl around sixteen appeared next to him.

"Nevan," she said quickly. She looked at Mara for a moment.

"She needs help Anna," the boy said. "Please?" Anna sighed and looked from her brother to Mara.

"Go quickly, there are others like us," she said with a smile. Mara nodded and pulled the cover off the shaft as best she could with one hand. She turned back to them to thank them but they had disappeared. She formed a small smile to herself and hurried through the shaft to freedom. Mara came out in the woods, at the bottom of a small hill. She crawled out of the shaft and looked up at the building she was in. Mara stared in awe at the massiveness of it. What was it? She turned and found a fence nearby bordering the property. She followed it until she hit a brick wall. Mara managed to climb over the wall and she dropped down on the other side, twisting her ankle. She took in a sharp but silent breath. Then she stood slowly once more. Ahead of her was a street. She followed it, limping and holding her arm until it reached the small town she had been in before.

Mara managed to find the hospital before long. She hadn't seen Dean's car but she knew that Sam had to be here. This would be the first place Dean would have taken him. She walked through the emergency room door. She walked up to the desk. "I'm… I'm looking for… I'm looking for Sa-"

"Mara," a voice called to her from behind. It was a familiar and comforting voice. She turned and saw John Winchester walk up to her. Mara collapsed in his arms. He caught her and walked with her over to a chair. "Mara," he said quickly. He brushed her sweat drenched hair out of her face. "Are you all right?"

She nodded slowly. She was very disoriented. Then she remembered Rowan's words. That John would never tell her. "John," she said leaning back. "Was I an only child?"

John sighed and looked down slowly. "No," he said softly. "You had a brother, a twin. He was kidnapped when you two were babies." John sighed and shook his head. "I should have told you Mara I know that."

Mara watched him and sighed. It changed very little about her relationship with John. "Where's Sam," she asked quietly.

"In his room," John answered. He stood slowly and helped Mara to his feet. "Dean went after you. I guess Sam knew where you were." 

Mara's head shot towards him when he spoke. "Dean what? I have to go back for him." Mara turned and headed for the door but John wrapped his arms around her and turned her around. "You are in no condition to go anywhere but Sam's room," he said in a very fatherly tone. He led her into Sam's room where he lay asleep. John sat Mara down in the chair before taking out his cell phone. He called Dean but he didn't answer. Over the next ten minutes John called fifteen times. Each time there was no answer. "You stay with Sam," he said before leaving. Mara moved to protest but it hurt too much.

She sighed and rested her head on Sam's bed. He was still asleep and for once looked peaceful. She took his hand and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep herself. "Did you think I wouldn't find you sissy?" Mara sat up quickly. She turned toward the door and saw Rowan standing there. Mara stood between him and Sam. Rowan stalked up to her and closed the door behind him. "Did he take my place sissy? Did you let that pathetic little boy replace your own brother?" He backhanded her sending her to the ground once more. Rowan stood a foot away from the foot of Sam's bed. "What does this family have that we didn't have?" He looked down at Mara. "Hmm," he whispered. "Oh, yeah. You." He smiled at her and looked to Sam. Mara stood slowly, standing next to Sam's side. 

Rowan walked over to her and knocked her to her knees once more. "Mara," he said shaking his head at her. "Why don't we take you away from them as well." He pulled a long dagger from his pocket. "We'll be a family again." With that his arm fell in one swift movement to plunge the dagger into Sam's chest. Mara rose quickly and the dagger entered her instead. He froze and quickly pulled it from him as she fell into his arms. Rowan dropped the dagger and lowered himself to the ground as blood spilled from the wound in her chest. "Mara," he whispered holding her close. Mara gasped for breath. He looked down at her in confusion. Why had she done that? Rowan picked her up quickly and snuck out of the hospital without anyone seeing him, or so he thought. As he left with her Sam woke up and saw him carry her away. He called his father but no one answered, the same occurred when he called Dean.

Dean walked down a dark corridor in the basement. The footsteps behind him got louder and he turned quickly. Again there was nothing there. Dean rolled his eyes and turned back around only to find a man standing in front of him. The man's face was covered in blood. He looked to be about Dean's age, he was Dean's height. There were several holes in the man's chest as well as a large gaping wound across his neck. "Leave here," he said coldly.

Dean simply laughed. He cocked the gun and got ready to shoot. When the man spoke again. "It's too late," he said simply. "She's gone so you might as well just get out of here."

"She," Dean said quickly. "She who? Who is she and what makes you think I give a damn who 'she' is?"

"The girl in the basement. The one Nevan and Anna told us you were keeping trapped here."

Dean's eyes widened and he lowered the gun. "Mara," he said simply. "And I'm not keeping her trapped anywhere. I came to get her out." The man studied him for a moment. He didn't look like he would help the others. "What do you mean she's gone?" Dean's first thought was that she was dead.

The man studied Dean's eyes for a moment. There was pain and fear in his eyes. The man sighed and lowered his head. He decided that Dean was there to help the girl. "She escaped, Nevan and Anna helped her."

Dean breathed a sigh of relief when suddenly a shot ran out and the man disappeared. Seconds later Dean found himself on the ground. The familiar pain of salt in an open wound burned through his chest. He looked down and rolled his eyes. That was twice he was shot with rock salt. He slowly rose to his feet, wincing. Dean saw a young man in front of him. "She only escaped because we let her," he said simply. "We haven't met have we?" The man extended his hand to Dean. "Rowan Weston. You must be the infamous Dean Winchester." Dean simply ignored the hand.

"Where is she," he asked coldly.

"With her family," Rowan answered with a smile. "Where she belongs."


	7. Chapter 7

-1Mara slowly came back to the land of the living. She heard the sounds of faint speaking around her but it faded quickly. Mara struggled against her heavy eyelids and eventually she opened her eyes. Mara looked around as her vision slowly came into focus. The room she was in was huge. Rust covered the pipes above her and the walls around her were cold cement, covered in dried blood. The room was cold and Mara felt a shiver run down her spine. When she twitched she found her arms were locked in place by rusted iron shackles, as were her legs. Mara tried to sit up but she couldn't.

Her chest hurt terribly but she noticed that the wound was gone. How was that possible? She turned toward her father as he walked to her. Austin stood at her side and he ran his hands through her hair, tucking her hair behind her ear. He smiled at her and sat down in a chair next to the table. The entire table she was laying on was metal and it was cold against her back. That's when she realized that her clothes were gone. She lifted her head enough to see that everything, save her underwear and bra were gone. Mara looked to her father in fear and confusion. "Shh," he whispered running his fingers gently across her face. "I'm sorry baby but this is for the best." Fear gripped her at his words. What was he doing?

Her questions were quickly answered when a sudden pulse of electricity coursed through her body. She spasmed and let out a piercing scream as she felt the painful volts run through her. Then, as quickly as it came it stopped. She turned her head towards her father. Tears fell from her eyes. Why was he doing this? Her hands were still trembling. He looked away and it started again. The pain was unimaginable. Mara screamed, but her voice was strained. She couldn't scream anymore. Then, just as before it stopped. Again she looked at her father. "Papa," she whispered frantically. "Papa please?"

"This is for your own good Mara," he whispered placing his hand over her head gently. "Shh," he whispered. It came once more and Mara screamed. This time it was high pitched. It made her father drop to his knees covering his ear. And through the foot of concrete and steel above her to where Dean was standing with Rowan, it was heard. Dean dropped the gun in his hand and both dropped to their knees. The scream stopped when Mara lost consciousness.

Dean glared at the man before him. "What the hell is that supposed to mean," he snapped. "We're her family!"

"No you're not. You of all people should know that Dean. She doesn't belong with you. She belongs with me, with our father." Rowan walked towards Dean and smiled. "You don't understand what she needs," he said coldly.

Dean glared at him. He raised the shotgun but before he could shoot the loudest, most piercing scream rang through the entirety of the orphanage. Dean dropped his gun and both him and Rowan dropped to their knees. Dean covered his ears but he recognized the scream. Mara. He knew he had to find her while Rowan was distracted. Dean stood slowly, trying to ignore the earth shattering screaming in his ears. He picked up his shotgun and followed it until the voice stopped. He was talking down the steps into the large basement. When he got there he saw a small boy sitting on the floor in the corner. Another girl, a little older than him sat next to him with her arm around him. Dean walked towards them slowly. The boy looked up at him in fear and the girl stood, standing in front of him. They were obviously spirits, he could see the circles around both their eyes. The girl studied him for a moment but said nothing. "Where is she," he asked quietly. Anna raised her hand slowly and pointed in the direction that they took Mara. Dean headed in that direction and heard Anna's voice behind him telling the boy it wasn't his fault. Nevan, Dean thought. He continued on his way searching for Mara.

Mara remained on the table. Her father stood slowly and waited for her to regain consciousness. She slowly regained consciousness. Her entire body ached and she could barely open her eyes. "P… papa," she whispered.

Her father took her hand and brushed her sweat-drenched hair out of her face. "Shh," he whispered soothingly. "It's almost over."

Her father let go of her hand and her eyes filled with fear. "No," she whispered. "Please, please dad," she said softly, pleading with him.

"I'm sorry but this must be done for you to be worthy." Almost as soon as he stopped speaking Mara felt the electricity course through her body once more. She screamed a piercing scream again and the ground began to shake. When she expected it to stop it didn't. The pain was unlike anything she had imagined. Mara spasmed and cried out in pain, praying for it to stop.

Dean finally found the room she was in. He froze when he saw her on the table screaming. Her scream got louder. Everything around them began to shake. He saw a wave go through the walls and floor until it hit him and he flew backwards. Dean landed on his back and sat up just in time to see the ceiling above Mara begin to crack and finally it crumbled and pieces of concrete fell to the ground blocking his view of Mara. "MARA," he screamed as he ran towards the pile of rubble. "Mara," he shouted as he began trying to dig his way into the room.

Sam woke quickly and sat up in the hotel room. He looked around and saw blood on the floor by his bed. Who's blood was it? Suddenly there was a piercing pain in his head. The images came quickly and sporadically. Mara. She was in a small room. He heard her scream and the pain he felt was unimaginable. He screamed and several nurses came running in. The quickly had him restrained and sedated. Sam was sedated but not unconscious. The nurses left and his father soon arrived in the room. He had been looking for Dean but upon seeing Rowan enter the orphanage with Mara he worried for Sam's safety. John came running into the room. "Sammy," he said quickly as his youngest looked over at him.

"Mara," he whispered. His voice was distant and groggy. "Mara, where's Mara?" He looked around slowly and tried to gather his thoughts. "She's hurt. Where's Dean?"

"How can you possibly know that," John asked curiously. Sam seemed to know an awful lot about what was happening and he couldn't figure out how that was possible.

"I can see it," Sam said quickly. "We don't have time for this Dad, where's Mara?"

"They still have her. Dean's gone after her."

Sam tried to sit up but he was still restrained. "Hurry," he shouted. "There isn't much time. She'll die and Dean might to."

Dean continued his assault on the wall of concrete in front of him. He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Rowan standing there. There was a look of fear in the other man's eyes. "What happened," he asked quickly.

"She's stuck in there. You're loving father was torturing her," Dean said coldly.

"What," he said quickly. Rowan knew nothing about any kind of torture. He looked at the wall in horror. "Is she in there," he asked quickly. Dean nodded. Rowan ran passed Dean and started digging at the crumbled cement as well. Dean turned and watched in confusion. "Are you going to help or let her die," he shouted.

Dean snapped back to reality and looked over at Rowan. He quickly joined at Rowan's side. "What game are you playing," he asked as they dug frantically through the concrete.

"She's my sister," he said coldly. "All I've ever wanted is my family back. You of all people should understand that. I can't let her die in there. No one said anything about torture." Dean watched him with suspicion but the fear and pain in his voice told Dean he was telling the truth.

Dean sighed and the two worked for hours to break through the large chunks of concrete blocking him from betting to Mara. Finally they broke through enough to climb over it. "Mara," Dean called out. Once the two of them were in the room they saw the hole above the table were Mara had laid. Mara was on the ground next to the table, face down. Dean quickly ran to her side. "Mara," he shouted.

Rowan looked around for his father. Anger gripped his body and he clenched his fists. Finally he found his father in the corner. He was sneaking slowly towards the hole the Dean and Rowan had broken through. Rowan turned to him. "You're not going anywhere." He stormed over to his father and threw him down on the ground.

"Rowan," Austin said quickly rising to his feet. There was fear in his quivering voice. "Rowan it had to be done. It had to be done for us to be a family. We had to unlock it don't you understand."

"You didn't have to hurt her!" Rowan grabbed his father by his throat and tightened his hand around his throat. "You didn't have to hurt her!"

Rowan threw him clear across the room. Austin hit his head on a piece of concrete and lost consciousness. Then Rowan turned to find Dean holding Mara. Dean knelt down next to Mara and picked her up. He held her close and looked down at her. "Come one," he whispered. Mara was covered in blood; cuts and scrapes littered her once beautiful body. "Mara," he whispered. Tears filled his eyes as he looked down at the fragile broken angel in his arms. He could hear her labored breathing. Mara slowly opened her eyes. A faint smile appeared on her face. "Mornin' beautiful," Dean whispered with a smile, running his fingers along her face. "You'll be all right," he whispered. "I promise."


	8. Chapter 8

-1Mara smiled and coughed, blood spilled from the corner of her mouth. "I'm… I'm c'ld," she choked out. She was shivering terribly and choking as she breathed. Dean picked her up slowly and held her close.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "I'll take care of you. Everything's going to be all right." Dean wasn't so sure though as he looked down at her. Her skin was pale and she coughed several more time, coughing up blood.

Mara opened her eyes and saw Rowan standing a few feet away. He just watched them with the same puzzled look he had when he stabbed her in the hospital. His attention was grabbed quickly by movement from the corner. Austin watched his father rise to his feet. "Rowan my son. We had to do this to unlock her potential." Rowan glared at his father, expecting more of an answer. "She has amazing power Rowan. Your sister could bring down this entire city if her scream was channeled enough."

"So you were going to unlock that then hand her over! She's my sister!" He glared at his father and stalked over to Austin. Austin moved and was quickly in front of Dean and Mara. He smiled and looked down at his daughter. There was about twenty feet between them and ten feet in the other direction between Rowan and Mara.

"She has failed though," he said simply. Austin pulled a gun out from behind him and raised it. He cocked the gun and Rowan ran towards them. As Austin fired the gun Rowan managed to get in front of them and he fell backwards. The bulled hit him square in the chest. Rowan gasped for breath, but he stood slowly. He walked towards his father as blood spilled from his chest. Rowan grabbed his father's neck and in a split second he snapped Austin's neck. Mara's father dropped to the ground, he was dead before he hit the floor.

Mara's vision came and went but she saw what Rowan did. He turned to her and slowly made his way back to Mara and Dean. Mara stretched out her hand and he took hold of it. "I… I understand," he whispered. "Why… why you sa… saved him." Rowan was referring to taking the blow from the knife for Sam. He smiled and held her hand.

Dean looked down at Mara. She looked back at him and shivered. He held her close and closed his eyes. He couldn't get her out it would kill her. Dean slowly pulled his cell phone from his pocket. As he started to dial the number he heard a voice above him. "DEAN!" It was his father's voice. Shortly after he heard Sam's.

Dean looked up quickly. He saw them through the hole in the ceiling. "DAD, SAM!"

They stopped and looked down at him. "They're hurt. Bad. He was shot and Mara…," he paused and looked down at her. "I… I don't know what's wrong!" He stood slowly holding picking her up. Dean expected Rowan to rise with them but Mara dropped his hand. She was unconscious and when he looked down at Rowan his eyes were open, looking where his sister used to be. He lay there pale and unmoving and Dean knew the truth. He was dead. He sighed and looked down. "Thank you," he whispered to the corpse. Dean looked up at his father. He was able to climb up the fallen cement and hand the girl's lifeless body to Sam. Then he went back and picked up Rowan. Dean handed Rowan to his father and John set him on the ground then grabbed Dean's arm and pulled him up. Dean moved instantly towards Mara. He held her close and looked down at her.

"What happened?"

"He was torturing her, her father. I don't know what he was doing but I could hear her scream. Then the floor caved in. I… I think that's what the demon wanted with her. She has some kind of sonic ability. I mean her scream nearly blew my ear drums." Dean held Mara close to him and sighed. "We have to get her to a hospital." Dean looked down at her and picked her up. She wasn't breathing. His heart stopped. "Shit," he said quickly. Dean set her down and checked for a pulse. There was nothing. He was afraid to touch her because of internal injuries. "Mara," he whispered with a broken voice. He held her close and closed his eyes, as a single tear fell from his left eye, landing on her forehead. Just like that it was over. Dean sat with her in his arms as his brother and father looked on. Dean rocked the girl's body back and forth and whispered her name again. But she would not move again.

Three days passed since then and the Winchesters had returned to Lawrence Kansas. It was the day of the funeral. It seemed ironic that Mara and Rowan were born only moments apart, and they died that way too. Dean stood between his brother and father, all three of them dressed in black. He had his hands crossed in front of him as the preacher spoke. His words meant nothing to Dean as he looked at the casket that held his angel. There were no tears from him though. Mara would never let him cry for her. His father on the other hand was a wreck. Mara was as much his daughter as Sam and Dean were his sons. Sam stood next to Dean, trying to hold back the tears.

The sermon ended and Dean walked up to Mara's casket. He placed a red rose on top of it and then rested his hand on there. His head lifted towards the sky and finally tears fell from his eyes. "Take care of her mom. We'll find it. We'll kill it. Just take care of her."

Dean thought he felt a hand on his shoulder. Then there was the faintest sound of his mother's voice as the wind blew. "I will Dean."


End file.
